Undecided
by Reigumi
Summary: It's been a year since Rukia disappeared, and while Ichigo and Byakuya both grieve the loss of Rukia in their own way, one thing is the same: the mysterious gift that they both receive. The apparent connection between the mysterious packages and Rukia send the two men on a search for the sender...and a search for the truth. IchixRuki
1. Chapter 1: In Pace Requiescat

**AN: Hey everybody! So this fic is one that just came to me this morning, and I had to post it to see what you guys thought. It's pretty different from what I normally write, so I thought it might be a nice change to try it out. Anyway, this story is an IchixRuki, but for the first part, its kinda gloomy and focuses mainly on Ichigo and Byakuya. Hope you guys enjoy!**_  
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**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

* * *

_The two of us, with our backs turned against each other, don't have a place to call our own_

_We can't even hear the sound of the pouring rain_

_We walk with our backs turned against each other_

_The two of us, to that place_

_Our footsteps disappear one after the other…_

_I won't leave you_

_I don't want to leave you_

_But your footsteps are getting erased by the waves, one after the other…_

* * *

**Undecided**

* * *

Waves crashed rhythmically against the beach as the sun rose over the horizon, casting pale morning light across the landscape. Ichigo stared out at the place where the sky and ocean met, a gentle breeze blowing his unruly orange hair. The calls of several seagulls sounded in the distance, their voices ripping through the peace of dawn.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Ichigo asked, not taking his eyes off the distant water.

There was no answer to his question, and silence pervaded the sandy beach he was sitting on.

"We used to come here all the time, remember?" His question was left hanging in the air, again receiving no answer.

Ichigo watched as the edge of the sun rose over the horizon, its dull light reflecting off the sea. A strong gust of wind blew from across the water, ruffling his clothes and hair, sending mist into his face.

"It feels like just yesterday that we came out here with the others; Ishida, Tatsuki, Inoue, Chad, Keigo, and Mizuiro. They all miss you too…Rukia." Again his statement was met only with the noises of the birds and waves.

Ichigo sighed. "Why did you have to leave, Rukia? Were we not good enough for you anymore? Or was there something else?"

Ichigo pulled his knees up, resting his elbows on them and placing his chin on his forearms. He sat in silence for several minutes, just watching the sun pull itself higher in the sky. Ichigo stayed like that for over an hour, just watching the water and listening to the waves, neither moving nor speaking.

"No matter how long you sit there, Kurosaki, she's not coming back."

Ichigo turned his head to see a black haired teen standing there watching him. The sun glinted off his glasses as he walked forward, a white lily held in his hand.

"I know that," Ichigo said as his friend placed the white flower next to the wooden post at his side.

The post was just a small, white memorial, with the words 'In Memory of Kuchiki Rukia' carved down the side. A small picture was set against it in the sand. Although it was fading, the image of a pale, smiling girl with raven hair and large, violet eyes was still visible.

The black haired teen looked over at his friend, sympathy evident in his eyes. Before the accident, he had rarely seen Ichigo like this, but since that day, he had changed. He lost his attitude and withdrew into himself, talking to people only if addressed directly or staring off into space in the middle of a conversation. The teen sighed and pushed his glasses up, walking over to sit next to Ichigo.

"Everyone else went to her grave. They were worried about you, so I said I would come and check to see if you were out here."

"Sorry," Ichigo said, "Can I ask you a question, Ishida?"

Uryuu's eyes lit up in surprise. "What?"

"Do you think there is any way…"

Uryuu sighed and pushed his glasses up again, the look of sympathy returning to his eyes.

"It's been a year, Kurosaki. I don't think there is any way that she made it. They looked for survivors for weeks. If she had made it, they would have found her," he sighed.

Ichigo nodded slightly. He looked over at the waves sweeping the sand flat, erasing all traces of the foot prints and patterns in the sand.

"_Ichigo!"_

Ichigo jumped in surprise at the sound of the voice. He knew the voice all too well, and he began to search the beach frantically with his eyes. When his eyes finally fell on the source of the voice, he felt his heart race with an unfamiliar feeling of joy.

"Rukia…" She was running through the wet sand, splashing the water as the waves washed in. She had on a simple blue summer dress and her hair was tied back in a ponytail, her loose bang still hanging between her violet eyes.

"_What?"_

Ichigo's joy faltered as he recognized the second, agitated voice, and turned his head to see himself standing near the water's edge, watching Rukia. Ichigo moved his eyes back to Rukia as she quickly ducked down, scooping up water in her hand and splashing it in the other Ichigo's face, making him splutter and widen his eyes in surprise.

"_Why you little…" _The other Ichigo began running after Rukia, a playful glint in his eyes.

"_Wha- What are you doing? Ichigo?"_ The other Ichigo picked up Rukia in his, walking her out to the deeper water.

"_No…Don't you dare! Ichigo!"_ Rukia's words were lost ask the other Ichigo dunked her under water, pulling her out a second later.

"_Y-you… idiot!" _ Rukia yelled, but a playful smile was present on her face.

"_Oi, would you two quit flirting and get over here? We're gonna start eating without you!"_

Ichigo turned to looked at the new voice and saw all of his friends sitting on the beach, a little picnic area set up on the sand. Tatsuki had been the one who had spoken, her short black hair waving in the breeze.

"_We are __**not**__ flirting!" Both Rukia and the other Ichigo yelled._

Ichigo watched the whole scene unfold, his eyes tearing up slightly as he watched a distant memory being replayed before his eyes. The entire time he watched, Uryuu watched his friend. Upon seeing that his eyes had become glazed and distant, he stood, looking down at Ichigo for a few moments before turning and walking away, never once being noticed by his companion.

* * *

**Chapter One**

**In Pace Requiescat**

* * *

Byakuya walked through the door slowly, entering the dimly lit room and sliding the door closed behind him. He walked over to a large cabinet on the other side of the room and opened the doors, revealing two pictures and a place to burn incenses. The picture on the right was of a young girl with shoulder length black hair and large, violet eyes. She had a single loose bang hanging between her eyes and a slight smile on her face. The picture to the left was almost an exact copy of the first, but the woman looked older and sickly.

Byakuya lit the incense and gazed at the picture of the younger woman. His cold, grey eyes softened slightly. Since she had died, he had moved away from Karakura and to Tokyo. He had no reason to remain in Karakura since both his wife and sister were dead, and he had not wanted to stay in a town with such bad memories. At that moment, the door of the room slid open, making Byakuya turn his head towards the man now standing there.

"What is the meaning of this interruption?" he asked coldly, making the man shrink back slightly.

"Excuse me, Kuchiki-sama. This was delivered for you."

Byakuya walked over to the man and took what was in his hands. His eyes narrowed and he scowled as he saw what it was.

"Who sent it?"

"We do not know, Kuchiki-sama. It had neither a name nor return address."

Byakuya looked back down at the object, his scowl deepening. It was a mounted butterfly in a dark wooden frame with a dark blue felt backing. The butterfly was a solid black swallowtail with small, red markings on the bottom of its wings. Below the butterfly was a small brass tag that gave its species: _Papilio protenor._

"Turn it over," Byakuya demanded.

The man complied and flipped the frame over. The back was just a simple paper back like on most frames, but in the bottom right corner was a small drawing. It was a crude picture of what looked to be a rabbit, but it had long black hair, grey eyes and a small frown, just like Byakuya.

"I want this dusted for prints as soon as possible. Bring it to me with the results."

The man bowed and hurried out of the room with the butterfly. Byakuya turned to look back at the pictures of his wife and sister one more time before walking swiftly out of the room. He continued on down the halls until he came to a room that had remained untouched since he arrived in Tokyo. When he had moved, Byakuya had ordered that his sister's room be moved and set up exactly the way it had been in Karakura. Down to the smallest detail, the room had been replicated in his new home, only to be ignored for almost a year.

He opened the door and walked in, looking around the room a moment. A layer of dust had formed on the furniture and the curtains were drawn, making the room look extremely dreary. Byakuya walked over to the bedside table and picked up a small notebook, reading the name on the front: Kuchiki Rukia. The softness returned to his eyes as he read it, but he didn't let it keep him from what he was doing. He opened the note book and flipped through the pages. On every page, there was at least on doodle of a rabbit, similar to the one on the back of the frame.

Byakuya closed the notebook and set it back down, turning to look at the bookshelf on the far side of the room. He walked over to it and began looking through the books for a small black book he had given Rukia for tenth birthday. When he found it, he pulled it off the shelf. It was a book of different types of butterflies, with their species name and pictures. When Rukia was little, she had always liked the butterflies around the flowers in the gardens, so Byakuya had given her this book. She had looked through it countless times before marking a page and declaring that it held her favorite butterfly. Byakuya found the page and stared at the name and picture.

It was a black _Papilio protenor._


	2. Chapter Two: Clouded Moon

**AN: Okay guys, second chapter! It's not as good as I wanted, but I hope it turned out okay. A lot is going to start coming together in the next few chaps, but that will also bring up more questions.**_  
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**Thank you all for the reviews and follows/favs! I couldn't believe I got seven reviews for one chapter :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach sadly**

* * *

_I can't see the full moon today_

_The clouds killed it_

_As always, I am sitting at the table alone_

* * *

Ichigo walked through the door of the clinic, his head hung low so that his bangs covered his eyes.

"There you are, my delinquent son! Dinner in this house is at seven! Moping all day is no excuse for tardiness!" Isshin yelled, pointing an accusing finger at his son.

Ichigo walked past the black haired man and started to walk towards the stairs.

"Are you listening to me?! You worried your sisters being out all day like that!" Ichigo stopped for a second, neither turning nor lifting his head.

"Sorry," he said quietly, his voice hoarse.

"Ichigo…" Isshin wasn't used to this side of his son. Normally, he would have received a punch to the face by now, but certainly not an apology.

Ichigo began walking towards the stairs again when Karin called out to him.

"Ichigo. This came in the mail for you. It's a little strange though. There isn't a return address on it or the name of the sender," the black hair girl stated, handing him a small box.

Ichigo looked down at the package in his hands with a mix of wariness and curiosity.

"Thanks."

Again he turned to walk up the stairs, this time making it with no interruptions. Ichigo opened the door to his room and walked in, setting the package on his desk and lying down. He had stayed on the beach most of the day, sitting through the small batch of rain, unwilling to leave that spot. He hadn't been able to bring himself to go meet the other at Rukia's grave. Since the funeral, he hadn't set foot anywhere near it, still holding out some hope that she might come back. But today, reality had sunk in. Rukia was never going to come back. It just wasn't going to happen, no matter how much he wished for it to.

"Are you going to open it, or not?" a familiar, feminine voice called.

Ichigo moaned. This had been happening all day, and was starting to drive him insane.

"You aren't real," he growled, lifting his head to look at the speaker. Rukia looked back at him and crossed her arms.

"That didn't answer my question, fool," she scolded.

"Why should I? For that matter, why am I even replying to someone who only exists in my head?" Ichigo asked, letting his head rest on his pillow again.

"I'm only here because your brain needs a way to cope," Rukia stated. "You shouldn't be made at me for showing up."

"Whatever. Just go the hell away," Ichigo grumbled, rolling over so that he was facing the wall.

There was no reply this time, and Ichigo almost missed Rukia's voice. Even if was just him going crazy, it was comforting to have her there.

"I told you it was just because you needed a way to cope," Rukia's smug voice stated, making Ichigo roll over and sit up, glaring at her.

"Don't look at me like that. It's not my fault you're going crazy. It was bound to happen eventually though. You do have your father's genes," Rukia smirked.

"I am _not _going crazy! What the hell do you want with me?!" Ichigo was become distraught. Not only had the realization of Rukia's death hit him, but now he was losing his mind, imagining her wherever he turned.

"Just open the package and I'll leave you alone."

Ichigo jumped off his bed and grabbed the package, ripping it open and pulling its contents out. Inside was a dark, wooden frame containing a black and red butterfly. Just below the butterfly was a plaque that said _Papilio protenor._

"What the hell?"

Ichigo flipped the frame over to see if there was anything written on the back and froze. Tapped to the back of the frame was something that was all too familiar to Ichigo. It was a delicate silver necklace with a charm hung on it. The charm was a beautiful and intricate silver moon that sparkled in the light of the room.

Ichigo felt as if his blood had frozen. He slowly reached up with one hand and pulled his own necklace out from under his shirt. It was a gold chain with a similar charm on the end, but his was black and gold sun that glinted wickedly in the light.

"I remember that necklace," Rukia said, peering over his shoulder at the silver moon. "You gave me one exactly like that a year and half ago."

Ichigo looked back down at the silver necklace, lifting it off the frame and stroking the charm gently.

"Rukia…"

* * *

**Chapter Two: Clouded Moon**

* * *

"Yes?" Byakuya spoke into the phone.

"_I apologize, Kuchiki-sama. They say that the print dusting will have to wait. They have many other cases to look into at this current moment," _a voice answered back.

"I understand. Put them on the phone."

The man on the other end of the phone began speaking with someone before the other voice came across the line.

"_Kuchiki-san." _the feminine voice said.

"I wish to speak with Kurotsuchi Mayuri."

"_I am sorry, but Kurotsuchi-sama is not available at the moment."_

"You misunderstand me. That was not a request," Byakuya stated coldly.

The woman seemed to ponder this for a moment before replying.

"_Very well. Please hold."_ Byakuya waited calmly for the man to answer the phone, but the wait seemed to take an excruciatingly long amount of time.

"_What do you want?! I am attempting to do research!"_ the man's voice broke through from the other line.

"Kurotsuchi-san. I wish for you to examine the item I sent to you for prints." Byakuya stated simply.

"_I have no time for something so menial!"_

"I see. Perhaps I could make it worth your time."

There was a pause on the other side.

"_I'm listening."_

"Examine the item for prints, and I will make sure your lab receives a generous donation from the Kuchiki Corporation to compensate you for your labor."

"_All you want is prints?"_

"Yes."

"_Hmm… Very well! You will have the results by the end of the day!"_

"Good." Byakuya hung up before receiving a reply, and set his phone down on his desk. The frame had been bothering him for most of the day, and he needed to know who was involved in its sending.

He stood and began walking to the door when his phone rang again. He turned and looked back at it. There was no way that they had already run prints on the frame.

Byakuya picked up the phone.

"Yes?"

"_Kuchiki Byakuya?"_

"Yes."

"_Um… This is Kurosaki Ichigo, a friend of Rukia's."_

This surprised him. He had never met Rukia's friends, even when he lived in Karakura, so for one to call him now was extremely odd.

"How is that you got this number?" Byakuya asked, suspicious.

"_Rukia gave it to me once just in case anything happened to her."_

That seemed logical enough.

"Is there something you wish to speak with me about?"

"_Well, yeah, there is. This might sound odd, but… did Rukia…like butterflies when she was little?"_

Byakuya froze. What did this kid know about the butterfly he had received?

"Why do you ask?"

"_Um… no reason in particular… I just found this old note she wrote and it had a doodle of a butterfly on it is all," _the boy stated quickly, laughing nervously at the end.

Byakuya narrowed his eyes. There was something extremely odd about both this boy and this conversation.

"I see. I do not know of any interest she may have displayed in them," he lied. "Perhaps if we were to meet, we could discuss this further and I may remember something relevant to that question."

The boy hesitated for a long time before answering.

"_Uh, yeah… sure. I guess we can do that. When and where?"_

Byakuya's suspicion only grew. If it were really a question about a doodle on a note, then he would not have agreed to meet with him. There had to be a reason as to why he was ready to speak with him.

"I will send someone to you." With that, Byakuya hung up again. Things were getting stranger by the minute. Again, his phone rang, and Byakuya was tempted to just ignore it, but he saw the number and answered quickly.

"What are the results?"

"_They got no prints off of the frame, Kuchiki-sama."_

"None?"

"_Not even a partial. Other than ours, it was clean."_

"Very well. Bring the frame back to me. Also, I wish for you to look into a boy named Kurosaki Ichigo and give me as much information as you can on him."

"_Kuchiki-sama?"_

"I have reason to believe that he may be involved with that frame."

* * *

**AN: Sorry about the short chapter and all the dialogue, but next time will hopefully be different. I just don't want to throw out too much info at once. I hope you guys like it, and feel free to ask questions and make comments!**

**Thanks!**


	3. Chapter Three: Words of the Beloved

**AN: Hey everyone! Got another chapter for ya'! I didn't really like how this turned out, so I'm sorry about that. Also, it was brought to my attention that I didn't do very good with the grammar/spelling (thanks for pointing it out by the way), and that I didn't proofread after I wrote, so I went back a tried to fix some of those, and I tried to a better job this time, but no promises. Those annoying mistakes just keep showing up .**

**Thank you all for the reviews and favorites/follows. They really mean a lot to me. And I made this chapter a better length, so I hope it makes up for the short ones!**

**Anyway, I hope you guys like it! Please let me know what you think!**

***Abara means "surname" or "family name"***

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.**

* * *

_I cannot sleep the whole night_

_The sound of the raindrops hitting on the window of my heart_

_The place that you left_

_I miss you so much_

* * *

Ichigo stared out of the window of the class, his mind wandering back to his conversation with Rukia's brother. He had found it odd that he had offered to meet so easily, especially since the elder Kuchiki had moved to Tokyo, and even when in Karakura he had never even bothered to introduce himself to anyone. He knew he was probably being paranoid, but it all seemed strange to him. Ichigo rubbed a hand down his face. The entire situation with the butterfly was just too confusing.

Ichigo looked over as the door opened, revealing Ochi-sensei, her brown hair tied back into a ponytail.

"Okay class, take your seats," her voice broke through the clamor of the kids milling around the room. As they found their seats, Ichigo turned his attention back to the window.

"Now let's see… two missing and it seems Kurosaki's mind is elsewhere, but that's no big loss. Between the three of them, we're only missing about half a brain anyway!" Ochi-sensei said cheerfully, getting a chuckle from Uryuu. Ichigo glared at him, making him shut up quickly.

"Anyway, to start class today, we have a new transfer student to welcome. Come on in!"

The door opened again, this time revealing a tall, red haired teen with tattoos running across his forehead and down his neck, disappearing underneath the collar of his shirt. His long hair was pulled into a messy ponytail and a strip of white cloth was wrapped around his head.

"Yo," the kid said, looking across the room.

"Class, this is Abarai Renji. Please save your hellos for later, because I don't feel like wasting time with useless greetings! Abarai-san, you can take the seat next to Kurosaki there. The delinquent kid with the weird hair," Ochi-sensei said, pointing out the open seat.

Ichigo froze and looked over at the spot next to him. An image flashed in his mind of black hair and violet eyes, and he felt a sharp pain in his chest. It was almost as if he could still see Rukia sitting in the chair.

"Kurosaki, right? Nice to meet you."

Ichigo looked up as the new kid stuck his hand out. He glared at him, neither responding nor shaking his hand. As soon as this kid had been given Rukia's seat, Ichigo had disliked him. He knew it was dumb, but he couldn't help but feel like this kid was taking a little bit more of Rukia away from him. He turned back to look out of the window as he heard the red head sit.

"What's his problem?" Renji asked someone, not bothering to hide his comment from Ichigo.

"Kurosaki-kun?" Ichigo heard Orihime's voice reply. "He's just a bit sad right now. He's really a nice person once you get to know him!"

"Inoue! Are you distracting the new kid already?!" Ochi-sensei paused in her lecture to call out.

"N-no Ochi-sensei!" Orihime defended quickly, stumbling over her words.

"I told you to save your introductions for later."

"B-but Ochi-sensei-"

"No buts! Just save it for the lunch period!"

"Hai," Orihime mumbled.

"Sorry about that," Renji whispered back to her. Ichigo felt what little restraint he had snap, and he spun to look at the talkative new kid.

"Shut it, pineapple head! She just got in trouble because of you, and you keep on talking to her!" he hissed, glaring.

Renji glared right back. "I was trying to be nice, idiot!"

"No one needs you to be nice! They need you to shut the hel- ow! The hell?!"

Ichigo rubbed his temple, looking down at what had hit him. A piece of white chalk lay on top of his desk, rocking back and forth slightly. He looked up to find Ochi-sensei glaring at him.

"Now you're trying to distract him, Kurosaki?! Go back to staring out of the window! At least then you won't disrupt my lesson!"

Renji snickered slightly, earning a death glare from Ichigo. He was really starting to not like this tattooed freak. Grumbling, he turned back to the window, letting his mind wander again.

After class ended and the lunch bell rang, Ichigo stood quickly, packing his books into his bag. He looked up when two people approached. Two girls stood before him, both smiling warmly.

"Hey Ichigo. You still all depressed? It's been a year now. You would think that after that long you would have moved on," one of the girls said, her brown eyes glinting playfully.

"Tatsuki-chan! That's not nice!" the other girl whined, turning to her friend, grey eyes chastising. Tatsuki patted her friends orange hair like she was a pet.

"Don't worry about it, Orihime. It was just a joke," Tatsuki explained, causing the other girl to smile slightly.

Ichigo looked at them briefly before quickly walking around them and out of the door. The two girls watched him go, a mix of concern and disapproval in their eyes.

"Geez. That guy," Tatsuki mumbled, running a hand through her short black hair.

"I'm worried about Kurosaki-kun, Tatsuki-chan. I want the old Kurosaki-kun back," Orihime complained.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Ichigo will get through this funk he's in. If he could get out of it when his mother died, I'm sure he can pull through."

At that moment, a pair of hands wrapped themselves around Orihime's midriff, hugging right under her breasts.

"Yeah! Don't worry about him, Orihime! You should be smiling! I like my smiling Hime better than a frowning one!" a girl with dark red hair and glasses called out.

"Ch-Chizuru!" Orihime cried out, her face flushing at the sudden contact.

"Let go of her, you perverted little freak!" Tatsuki yelled, sending a punch into the red haired girl's face. "She is _not_ yours!"

Chizuru fell to the ground, clutching her nose, but she recovered quickly, jumping back up to face her assailant.

"What, are you jealous that she accepts my affections over yours? My Hime would never like someone like you!"

"Affection my ass! It's more like sexual assault!" Tatsuki yelled back.

"Oh? Well maybe if you weren't so much like a guy she would let you do the same!"

"That's it!" Tatsuki dove at the other girl, trying to knock her to the floor, but Chizuru dodged. They soon began running around the room, Tatsuki using whatever she could get her hands on as a weapon.

Renji gawked at the scene, rubbing the back of his head. "Is it always like this?"

Orihime nodded. "Yup! We always have lots of fun!"

"This is fun?" Renji mumbled low enough for nobody to hear.

"So… what's that orange haired guy sad about?" Renji asked, side stepping to avoid a textbook launched by Tatsuki.

"One of our friends died a year ago, and he's still upset about it. He was the closest one to Rukia, so he is having a hard time moving on," Orihime said quietly, sympathy laced in her voice.

"You sound like you care about him."

Orihime looked toward the door Ichigo had walked out of. "Mmhmm. He has always been kind to me, so I don't like to see him like this. But I don't think there is anything I can do for him…" she trailed off, a sad smile on her face.

Renji looked towards the door as well, no emotion displayed on his face or in his eyes.

_Rukia…_

* * *

**Chapter Three: Words of the Beloved**

* * *

Ichigo stalked across the schoolyard, glaring at anyone who dared to make eye contact with him. He hadn't been able to concentrate on any of his school work because of that butterfly. He still had no idea what it could mean, but he knew what the necklace meant, and that was enough to make him curious. He fingered the silver chain that now hung around his neck with his own necklace.

_Who the hell sent this to me?_

As he walked, he noticed that two people were approaching him. The one approaching from his left was a well dressed, middle aged man. He seemed to be in a hurry, and Ichigo saw that he was looking straight at him. On the other side, he saw the new kid (What was his name? Abara* or something?) also walking towards him, his red hair like a beacon in the sunlight.

Ichigo had no urge to talk to the annoying teen, so he turned towards the guy in the suit. As he approached, the guy opened his mouth.

"Excuse me, but are you Kurosaki-san?"

Ichigo immediately became suspicious.

"Who wants to know?"

The man bowed slightly before looking back at him.

"I was sent by Kuchiki Byakuya to pick up Kurosaki Ichigo. You match the description given to me, so I assumed it must be you. I apologize if I was incorrect."

Ichigo scratched the back of his head. This guy was way too polite for his liking.

"No, you were right. But who told you what I looked like?"

"Kuchiki-sama ran a background check before sending me," the man stated, as if that was a standard thing to do for a guest.

"Oh, oka- he did what?!" Ichigo exclaimed, taken aback by this news.

"He performed a background check on you to assure that you had no criminal record," the man stated, confused as to why the boy seemed to take offense.

"Why would he think I would have a criminal record?! He doesn't even know me!"

"Which is why he wished to learn more about you before simply letting you into his home."

Ichigo scowled. He guessed it wasn't all that unusual for a rich company owner to not want any criminals near him, but still, did he just assume that Rukia would befriend a criminal?

"Okay. That makes sense I guess. So when do I get to meet the guy?" Ichigo asked.

"We shall leave immediately, if that is okay with you, Kurosaki-san."

Ichigo looked over his shoulder to see that Renji had disappeared. What had he wanted? Ichigo turned back, shrugging. It wasn't like he really cared what the pineapple head wanted to talk to him for.

"Yeah, let's go."

Ichigo walked through the large halls of the Kuchiki mansion, gawking at the size and splendor of the building. It was like walking into a palace for a noble. He had always known that Rukia was well off, but he had never realized just how rich the Kuchiki family was. The man leading the way stopped in front of a door, motioning for Ichigo to do the same. The man knocked gently on the door.

"Bring him in."

Ichigo followed as the man walked through the door towards the cold voice that had spoken. He saw that the man who had spoken was a tall, stoic looking guy with long black hair and cold, grey eyes. The man was frowning at him, looking slightly displeased.

As Ichigo looked the man up and down, the man did the same to him. What he saw did not impress him. A scowling teen with orange hair and defiant, amber eyes stared back at him. His first thought was that this child looked like a delinquent, and that Rukia would have never befriended someone like him.

"Uh, hi. Kurosaki Ichigo," the orange haired boy said sticking his hand out.

"Kuchiki Byakuya," the man replied, looking at the outstretched hand as if it was covered in filth.

Ichigo frowned and let his hand fall back to his side. This guy was really stuck up, and it was starting o irritate him.

"What is it that you wished to discuss with me, boy?" Byakuya asked, taking a seat behind a mahogany desk.

Ichigo took the seat across from him, the look of displeasure that rose on Byakuya's face giving him unexpected satisfaction.

"What I asked on the phone was if Rukia ever liked butterflies when she was little. I never heard her talk about them, so I thought she might have said something about them to her brother," Ichigo stated, slouching back in the chair just to see what kind of reaction he could get out of this statue of a man.

Byakuya frowned at the boy's posture. It seemed like he was doing it on purpose, but Byakuya just assumed that maybe the boy was naturally disrespectful.

"I am sure that at some point in her life, she mentioned them. Most children do. I do not see why this has any importance," Byakuya replied sharply.

"To be honest, I don't either, but I received… something… that I think might be connected to Rukia, and it had to do with butterflies."

Byakuya froze. So this kid was not responsible for sending the butterfly, but he himself may have received something similar.

"Do you have this object?" Byakuya asked, not letting his surprise or impatience show.

"I… have part of it, but I do not have the biggest part. Why?"

Byakuya reached into one of the drawers in his desk and pulled out the frame with the _papilio protenor_ in it. He looked down at it, then looked back up at the boy, trying to decide whether he could show him. He didn't see how it could harm the situation, so he handed the frame across the desk.

"Did the object resemble this?" He saw the boy's eyes widen slightly.

"You got one, too?!"

Byakuya sighed at the obviousness of the statement. "Yes. I was under the impression that you might be involved, but once you stated that you received one as well, I believed that it might be the same."

Ichigo looked down at the frame, flipping over to reveal the picture scrawled on the back.

"This looks like the picture's Rukia used to draw," Ichigo said quietly.

Byakuya nodded. "That is what I believe as well. The butterfly is one that Rukia claimed to be her favorite when she was younger."

Ichigo flipped the frame back over to look at the butterfly.

"Other than the picture, it's the exact same as the one I got," Ichigo said.

"You have a piece of the package sent to you, do you not?"

Ichigo nodded and reached under his shirt to pull out the moon necklace.

"This was taped to the back of mine," he stated.

Byakuya eyed the necklace, finding it extremely familiar. Then he remembered: Rukia had one exactly like that she never took off.

"I gave one of these to Rukia a few months before she died," Ichigo said, sorrow in his voice.

"I remember Rukia would not take it off, despite being told that it was not appropriate for business wear," Byakuya stated, earning a smirk from the boy.

"That sounds like her."

As soon as he finished saying that, the door opened to reveal a very nervous looking man holding two letters.

"Kuchiki-sama. I have a letter for you. It has no name or return address, just like the package."

"What is the other one?" Byakuya asked.

"It is a letter for Kurosaki-san. It is just like yours."

Byakuya and Ichigo glanced at each other. As far as they knew, no one but the Kuchiki household knew that Ichigo was here. Ichigo stood and took the letters, handing Byakuya his. They both looked down at the envelopes. Their names were written on their respective envelopes in neat hand writing. Other than that, there was nothing written on either one of them.

Byakuya opened his and pulled out the piece of paper inside. As he read the contents, Ichigo saw that his frown was getting deeper and deeper. Once finished, he put the paper back on the table and gestured to Ichigo's.

"Read it."

Ichigo opened his envelope and pulled the paper out, looking at the same neat hand writing that was on the outside.

_To the one who never cared,_

_Oblivion is a sweet release_

_from the tangled game we played._

_You never made emotions clear_

_other than the scowl plastered to your face._

_I denied the truth for far too long,_

_never admitting what was inside._

_Of all the ones in the world,_

_why did the one have to be you?_

_May your chest shatter before your end._

Ichigo looked up, confused.

"What the hell is this supposed to mean?"

Byakuya held out his hand.

"Let me see it, boy."

Ichigo gave it to him, picking Byakuya's up off the desk to scan it over. It was the same hand writing again.

_To the one who never saw,_

_May my nonexistent smile light up your cold memories._

_Perhaps the white teeth will make you take notice._

_No amount of warmth could melt the ice in your soul._

_Yet no matter how thick the frost,_

_you may find that pain will shatter it._

_May you live out your few days_

_in the cold that you love so much._

The two looked at each other, knowing that they were both thinking something similar. There was no way that someone could have just written these and sent them, knowing that they would understand. The feelings expressed in both letters were too deep to be some random jotting. There was deep meaning behind the words, and they both knew whose feelings they represented. Someone had gone through a lot of trouble to figure out how they acted, and they had gone through even more to represent this person's feelings.

_Rukia._

* * *

**AN: I hope you guys liked it! So... I know there was no Rukia in this chapter, and that you all are wanting her, but trust me, that will come soon. Please feel free to review and let me know what you think. I'm also interested in what you guys think the story might be behind all of this ;).**

**Also, I am going to introduce another character in the next one that part of the story will revolve around, and I wanted to know who you would like for it to be: Toshiro, Gin or Urahara**

**Thanks!**


	4. Chapter Four: Suspicion

**AN: Sorry for the delay, lots of work to do. Anyway, not too happy with this chapter, but the firsts hints of true clues start to come in, so it is a somewhat important chap. I hope you guys like it. Oh, and the character that I will put in based on what you guys suggested will be... you know what, I'll let you find out on your own :P**_  
_

**News: For any who follow Endless Darkness, I have put it on hiatus temporarily because I have no idea where I am going with it. Once I figure that out, I will start it back again. However, I did start a new story (Case Law) if any of you are interested.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

* * *

_Can't erase the tears from memory  
Even this sound of darkness probably won't heal anymore  
Somehow knowing that...  
Tears come running down again from the memory  
Look around  
There's probably no one to live for now...alone  
_

* * *

Ichigo looked down at his food absently. He still wasn't hungry. Ever since he had gotten the frame, he hadn't felt hungry at all, just confused and frustrated. What the hell was going on? Why did all of this have to happen to him? It just didn't make any sense. And what's more, he didn't want it to stop; he wanted to figure out who was behind all this crap: the frame, the letter, all of it. But he had no idea how to go about figuring it out.

"Ichigo, aren't you going to eat?"

Ichigo looked up from his food at the one who had spoken. Tatsuki sat across from him, watching him worriedly. He shook his head, not bothering to speak.

"You trying to lose weight, carrot-top?" Renji smirked from next to Tatsuki. Ichigo glared at him.

"Shut it."

"Geez, what's your problem?" Renji mumbled, taking a bite of his food.

The group became quiet, awkward tension filling the space on the roof where they ate lunch. Ichigo had no problem with it, he simply retreat within himself and began thinking about the letter again, but the others began to grow uncomfortable. After a few more minutes, Renji broke the silence again.

"Hey, anyone here like butterflies?"

Ichigo tensed, looking up at Renji.

"That's a weird question to ask," Tatsuki stated, giving the new kid a strange look.

"Well, there was one over behind carrot-top, and it was getting a little awkward up here, so…."

"I didn't see a butterfly," Orihime stated, looking around curiously.

"Nor did I," Uryuu agreed.

Ichigo turned to look behind him, but there was no butterfly in sight. Was that comment meant for him?

"Hmm, I must've been seeing things then," Renji chuckled.

Orihime smiled and nodded. "I do that all the time! I like to imagine that I'm a robot and that there are these monsters after me that I zap with my lasers and-"

"That's nice, Orihime, but how about we save that story for later…" Tatsuki cut in, ending what was likely to be a very long, very strange story about a war between monsters and humans with robotic body parts.

Ichigo looked back at Renji, who was smiling at the two girls. Who was this guy really? What was that comment for? Ichigo shook his head. It could have just been an innocent question. Ichigo again looked back at the red haired teen to find that this time he was smirking at him instead. Ichigo tensed again. There was no way that it was just an innocent comment.

After the bell rang, the group began picking up and heading back to classroom, but Ichigo waited behind, as did Renji, who was cleaning up his trash. When he was sure they were alone, Ichigo walked up to Renji, grabbing his shirt and pushing him against the wall.

"Who are you?" Ichigo growled, glaring at the guy before him. Renji grimaced, but looked back at Ichigo with anger in his eyes.

"What is your problem?!" he yelled back.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?!" Ichigo asked, pushing Renji against the wall once more.

"Are you an idiot?! I just introduced myself yesterday! Now get the hell off!" Renji shouted, pushing Ichigo away. He glared at him turning and walking back towards the door, mumbling about how he was a berry headed nut job.

Ichigo slammed his fist against the wall. He wasn't getting anywhere. He was so desperate to find answers that he was becoming paranoid. But why had Renji smirked at him like that? Ichigo stalked towards the door, slamming it behind him as he walked through. He needed someone to talk to about all of this, but the only person he could talk to was in Tokyo, and he wasn't very high on Ichigo's list of people to confide in…

As he walked into his class and over to his seat, Ichigo noticed that there was an envelope on his desk. He glanced around the room, but no one was looking at him, and Ochi-sensei was still out. He picked it up and opened it to see that a single piece of paper was in it. He reached in and pulled it out, finding that it was a picture. He stared at the picture, unable to move or think. Looking back at him was an old picture of Rukia and himself walking down the street, glaring at each other as if they had been arguing.

"Wow. Who is that? There is no way that is your girlfriend; she's too cute for someone like you."

Ichigo looked over his shoulder to find Renji looking at the picture as well. When Ichigo said nothing, Renji continued.

"Why haven't I seen her around here? Did she get tired of having to see your ugly mug and finally run away?" Renji sneered, looking for a rise from the orange haired boy.

"-ut up."

"Or was it that you forced her to go out with you and she couldn't take it anymore, so she just went and kil-"

Ichigo fist connected with Renji's mouth, cutting him off and sending him toppling back against the desk. Renji glared up him as he used the desk to hold himself off of the ground, his lip now bleeding. The other students looked over with surprise and apprehension.

"—ard"

"Just like I thought, you talk big, but don't have the strength to back it up. That didn't even hurt," Renji chuckled as he grimaced slightly, rubbing his chin.

"You bastard. What do you know? You talk like you know what Rukia was thinking, but you didn't even know her. How could you possible know what someone you never met felt?! You have no idea what kind of person she was!" Ichigo said, raising his voice until he was shouting.

Renji looked up at the teen whose orange bangs covered his eyes. He hadn't been expecting this reaction.

"If you ever talk about her again," Ichigo said quietly, "I will kill you." With that he walked out of the room, leaving all of his belongings on his desk, not bothering to make eye contact with any of the people watching him. As he disappeared around the door, Renji pulled himself up, looking down at the picture now on the floor. If he looked hard enough, he could see the faint traces of smiles resting on both of the teens faces. He sighed, rubbing his chin again.

_I'm sorry… Rukia._

* * *

**Chapter Four: Suspicion**

* * *

Byakuya read the letter once again. No matter how many times he read it, he could not convince himself that it was just someone playing a guessing game. It may be obvious that he was cold, but who would have known that Rukia had always sought his approval other than himself, Rukia, and perhaps that impolite boy he had met with yesterday. And then there was the threat at the end. It bothered him. Kuchiki Byakuya was not used to not being able to solve his issues. Normally, he would just call someone to take care of them, or he would deal with it himself. But no one could help with this, and he had no idea of how to go about fixing this issue.

He set the letter down next to the framed butterfly sitting on his desk. He could not figure out what the connection between the two might be other than Rukia. Things were becoming increasingly aggravating. After a few minutes of staring at the butterfly, a name popped into his head. Perhaps…

Byakuya quickly pulled out a phone book and began to search for a number. He continued to flip through the pages until he found the name he was looking for and punched the numbers into his phone. The line rang twice before a laid back, happy sounding voice came across the line.

"_Urahara Shoten. How may I help you?"_

Byakuya grimaced at the familiar voice, but he had already made up his mind to do this.

"Urahara."

"_Hmm? Is this who I think it is?"_

"Kuchiki Byakuya. I wish to hire you."

"_Well now, it's been a while, hasn't it, Bya-bo?" _Urahara stated happily.

"Let us proceed with business," Byakuya said coldly. He really hated that nickname.

"_Why rush?! We have to catch up first!"_

"No. We do not. I am hiring you to do a job for me."

"_Oh? And what sort of job is that?"_

"I am aware that your business is used as a front to a criminal business."

There was a pause on the line before Urahara's good natured chuckles came across the line.

"_What gives you that idea? I'm just an innocent candy shop owner."_

"I know that you cover up criminal activities. If you do not wish for me to reveal this to the authorities, you will accept this job," Byakuya replied simply. There was another pause on the other end of the line.

"_I'm listening._"

"I wish for you to discover the source of a package. There are neither return addresses nor prints."

"_Discover the source? Now there's an unusual request. May I ask what the package is?"_

"It shall be sent to you once you accept."

"_I accept! It's been boring around here lately. Are there any connection to the package that you know of?"_

"It is connected to Rukia."

"_I see. Is there anything that might connect her with someone? Maybe she liked drawing? Or did she like butterflies? Anything that might help?"_

Byakuya narrowed his eyes at the mention of butterflies.

"No. That is all you need to know."

"_You're not making this easy…. I'll let you know when I find something, Bya-bo," _Urahara said happily before hanging up.

Byakuya sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He always hated talking to that man. He looked back down at the frame on the table. He would have to be careful when he sent it to Urahara. When he mentioned butterflies, Byakuya had gotten a strange feeling. Was it just an innocent question, or was it something more?

* * *

A small amount of light spilled through the blinds from the streetlight, showing the dust floating through the room. The sounds of muffled traffic filled the room, but that was all that could be heard. In the almost nonexistent light, a lone silhouette sat at the center of the room, unmoving. The sound of a door creaking open broke the silence, but the silhouette still did not move.

"It seems that paranoia has finally set in," a voice said from the place where the creak had come from.

The room remained silent other than the sound of a car horn in the distance.

"Perhaps it's time… for you to finally reveal yourself again."

* * *

**AN: I know, it was kinda short and not the best. Sorry guys, I'll do better next time. And as you can see, Urahara was the character that I saw the name of the most in the reviews, so he will play a part now :) But anyway, please review to let me know what you think. I can't improve without your feedback (and the reviews make me happy XD). Thanks everybody!**


	5. Chapter Five: Night Resurrected

__**AN: Hey everybody. I'm back (finally). I apologize for the delay, but I kinda... downloaded a viruses that killed my computer... -_-' Kinda embarrassing to say, but stuff happens. So I finally got it fixed, so I'm back with a new chap. I feel like it came out a little weird, but hopefully you guys will like. Well, please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach**

* * *

_My hope fades away from the angry tears_

_even the strength to live…_

_in a fit of passion I go crazy with grief_

_and so, I pray to the setting sun._

* * *

_A single drop fell from the dark clouds, putting a dark splotch on the pavement between the two figures. As more drops began to fall, orange spikes became matted to their owner's head, his bangs covering up the emotions brewing in his amber eyes._

"_You're… leaving?"_

_The rain began to fall harder, beating against the ground in a sad tune._

_A pale hand readjusted the umbrella nervously. The ground under the protective embrace of the nylon was dry except for the occasional splatter that caught the small feet. Violet eyes averted from the form before them in an attempt to hide the storm of pain that swirled within._

"_I-I can't stay here anymore, Ichigo. I…" she trailed off, not sure what else to say._

"_You what? Why do you have to leave?" he still didn't look up at her, instead choosing to stare down at the cement at her feet._

"_I just need to get away."_

_Amber eyes flashed as he looked up at her. He took a quick step closer, the rain still patting down on his head chilling him to his core._

"_That's not a reason! Why? Why do you need to get away?!"_

"_I'm sorry, Ichigo. I'm leaving. That's all there is to it," she answered quietly._

"_Like hell that's it! You just suddenly decide that you need to leave?! There has to be more to it! Just tell me what it is!" he yelled back._

"_I can't! There… there's nothing else to tell. Just accept it. I have to go." She turned, getting ready to walk away, but felt a hand grab her arm and she looked back._

"_Please, Rukia… let me help you! If there is something going on, I want to help," he pleaded, his amber eyes stormy with a mix of confused emotions._

"_I-Ichigo… just… just let me go."_

"_Not until you tell me what's going on." She looked forward and stood in silence for a few seconds before turning her head slightly, not looking at him._

"_You won't let me go until I tell you?" The question lingered in the air as the rain thudded against the umbrella. Neither one moved, and what breaths they took were short and restrained so as not disturb the tension._

"_Fine… I'll tell you," she said, looking at him with tears in her deep, indigo pools. "I'm leaving… to get away from you." His grip loosened as her stared at her in shock._

"_Wh-what?"_

_She pulled her arm out of his grasp and turned away again, taking a couple steps away._

"_Goodbye… Ichigo." With that, she walked away, fading into the dark curtains rain. The only thing that remained of her presence was the dry circle where she had been standing, but that, like everything else…_

_was swallowed by the rain._

* * *

"Hey! Get a move on!"

Ichigo shook his head and looked at the man who had pulled him from his thoughts. He hadn't realized that he had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.

_Why am I thinking of things like that right now?_

Dwelling on the past wasn't going to answer his questions right now. Memories wouldn't tell him who sent the frame or the letter.

_But if I had just gone after her…_

He let out a frustrated sigh. This was getting him nowhere. Maybe he should call Rukia's brother to see if he had found anything out yet. It wasn't like Ichigo had any way of going and finding out much by himself anyway; he was just a high school student.

Ichigo pulled out his phone and looked at it, contemplating whether it would actually help to call the elder Kuchiki or if it would just be a waste of his time. He ran a hand through his hair and went to put his phone back in his pocket.

_From how he acted before, he would probably just act like I'm a nuisance anyway._

Just before he slid the phone back into his pocket, it began to vibrate. He looked down at the number displayed on the screen.

_Blocked?_

He tentatively accepted the call, holding the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" He was met with silence.

"Hello?" he repeated, this time slightly louder. Yet again, the line remained silent.

Ichigo scowled. "Idiot," he muttered as he pulled the phone away from his ear. As he was about to hang up, a slow, whispered song came from the other end of the line.

"_White mo-on sinks into the sea…"_

A shiver ran down Ichigo's spine. That voice…

"_abandoned by the sun." _

"R-Rukia?!"

"_Into the depth and darkness sink,_

_embraced by death's cold arms."_

Ichigo turned around, looking through the throng of people as if Rukia might be right next to him.

"Rukia?! Where are you?! Are you okay?!"

"_The moon turns black and burns away…"_

A flash of violet and a glimpse of pale skin caught Ichigo's attention.

"_guided by hate's cruel light…"_

Ichigo pushed through the crowd toward the person, going towards a patch of raven hair that was moving away from him.

"_and vengeance seeks upon the sun…"_

He struggled to keep the woman in sight, but her figure was moving further and further away.

"_and darkness veils its fire."_

Ichigo watched as the figure turned into a side alley and he took the opportunity to shove through the crowd to reach it. When he turned into the dark space, he felt like he had been hit in the gut. The alley was empty. He looked down at the phone that was still in his hand at his side before putting it back to his ear.

"Rukia?"

The singing started again, but this time it was slower, and colder.

"_The sun then crumbles into dust,_

_never to return."_

* * *

**Chapter Five: Night Resurrected**

* * *

"What have you found?" Byakuya asked his guest.

"It's always business with you, Bya-bo," Urahara pouted, earning a cold glare from his companion. "You haven't even offered me any tea!"

Byakuya could already tell that this conversation was going to be difficult. Just getting information out of this blonde fool test his patience, and having to be in the same room with him just made it worse.

"This is not a meeting to exchange pleasantries," he replied coldly.

Urahara chuckled and flipped open his fan. "I see you haven't lost the Kuchiki coldness."

"The longer you insist to talk, the less I shall pay," Byakuya stated flatly.

Urahara sighed and snapped his fan closed, reaching inside his jacket to pull out a small envelope, which he handed to Byakuya.

"I called in a few favors to get that. You would be amazed how many postal issues there are to be covered up," Urahara laughed. "I tracked down where the butterfly was sent from and went to the address. It was a small house outside of Tokyo."

Byakuya looked down at the small piece of paper he was holding.

"Who owns the house?"

"No one. It's been abandoned for several years. When I went in, there was no trace that anyone had been there anytime recently except for that envelope, which was the only thing not covered in dust. From the looks of it, someone either knew you would find the place or they found out about it before I could get there."

Byakuya again looked at the blank envelope.

"Did you look inside?"

Urahara simply nodded and gestured for Byakuya to open it.

As he pulled out the slip of paper that was inside the envelope, he almost thought that it would be blank; but when he pulled it out all the way, he saw that someone had scrawled the words "Dead End" on the page with their finger in red ink. Right below the words was a small doodle similar to the one on the back of the frame, but this time, instead of just having the rabbit look like Byakuya, it was also hanging from a noose.

"You may want to increase security a little, Bya-bo…" Urahara mused.

"I see no need. A drawn crudely threat is not something I concern myself with," Byakuya stated, setting the paper down and looking back up at Urahara.

"I see. So, is there anything else you need my brilliant expertise for?" Urahara grinned, earning another cold glare from stoic man.

"I want whatever information there is available about the house in which you found this. Get it to me as soon as possible," Byakuya answered as Urahara stood to walk to the door.

"I'll see what I can do. And I hope that you don't get too wrapped up in this. If you dig to far, you might just end up hurting yourself…" Urahara smiled and turned to leave, following behind the servant that had come to show him.

* * *

**AN: And there you have it! I had fun writing the first part, but the second part was what I felt was strange. Please review to let me know what you think of it. If you have anything that you think I should change, I won't know unless you tell me (I failed my mind reading class... so help me out a little :P) Until next time!**


	6. Chapter Six: Breaking Point

**AN: Hey everybody, here with another chap! Its got lots of stuff going on, so I hope you guys enjoy. I really liked writing this one, so let me know how it turned out.**_  
_

**Thanks to every one who has reviewed, liked, and followed this story so far, you're all amazing!**

* * *

_I'm a dying flower,_

_but I want to be in bloom_

_just one more time, just like before_

_Tonight, my heart and soul are blending_

_into the dark_

* * *

Rapid steps echoed through the street as she ran. She cast a quick glance over her shoulder, her breathing labored and quick. She continued to sprint forward, willing her already burning legs to go faster.

_Please. Someone. Anyone!_

She barreled around a corner, the yellow street light flickering in the starless night.

_Why is there no one?!_

She stumbled on the sidewalk, her momentum almost sending her sprawling, but she managed to keep her balance and continue running. She glanced behind her again, her eyes filling with dread.

They were catching up.

She rounded another corner, this time seeing a well-lit intersection ahead. Standing at the corner were two women talking animatedly, their arms waving about. Hope swelled in her chest as she tried to put on a burst of speed.

"Hel-"

Strong arms wrapped around her from behind, a hand clasping her mouth shut.

"M-mmm!"

Dread slammed down on her as she thrashed about, struggling to get free, but it was no use. She was being dragged back into the darkness. The women didn't turn, but continued to chat, walking across the street. She felt warm tears slide down her cheeks, stinging her eyes as she watched her freedom slowly slip away.

_Please… help me…_

Ichigo woke with a start, a cold sweat running down his spine. He peered around the room, searching for anything out of place, but nothing was awry. The silver light of the moon cast an unearthly glow in the room, illuminating Ichigo's orange spikes like silvery fire. He ran a hand through his hair, wiping the beads of sweat that had formed at his hair line.

_This is the third night in a row that I've woken up like this, but I still can't remember the dream._

He sighed and rested his forearms on his knees, looking up at the silvery crescent that was now being covered by a thin blanket of clouds. Reaching over, he pulled the glass open, letting the soft breeze sweep through the room, ruffling his shirt and hair. He hadn't really slept well since the accident, but it wasn't until recently that he had started to have this dream. Every time it was the same: wake up sweating with no idea why.

Ichigo looked over at his desk where the moon pendant sat glinting in the silver light. He couldn't help but feel that maybe the dream had something to do with Rukia, even if he never could see the person's face. As he gazed at the pendant, something else on his desk caught his eye. An envelope lay in the perfect center of the polished surface, glowing in the light.

_When did that get there? I don't think it was there when I went to bed…_

He glanced around the room again, this time looking for the smallest changes in his environment. This time he saw that his door was slightly ajar.

_Did goat face come in here and drop this off?_

He stood and walked over to the envelope, slowly picking it up and flipping it over to see that there was no name or address on it. Apprehension welled up in his chest as he carefully opened the envelope. Inside were four slips of paper which, when he pulled them out, were revealed to be photos. He felt fear bubble up inside him as he looked through the first three.

The first was one of Karin playing soccer after school, her black hair billowing behind her as she ran. The second was a shot from further away, but Ichigo could see Yuzu's blonde hair as she walked up to the door of clinic. The third was one taken through the window of the clinic in which his dad stood in his white lab coat talking to a patient.

But it was the final picture that made the bubble of fear explode into a full blow storm inside him. It was a picture of him and Rukia walking down the road arguing, but over Rukia's small figure was a red X. On the white edge of the photograph, someone had scrawled a hasty note.

'One down, three to go. How many more will it take to break you?'

Dread slammed down on Ichigo's shoulders, and the fear in his chest felt like it would consume him any second.

_This…_

He sprint to his door and pulled it opened, running down the hall towards his sisters' room. He yanked the door and quickly entered the room.

"Karin! Yuzu!"

They lay asleep, the faint light filtering through the blinds casting stripes across their bodies. Yuzu stirred slightly, her eyes opening slightly, blurry with sleep.

"Ichi-nii?"

Relief washed over Ichigo as he saw they were safe, but it was short lived.

_Dad!_

He ran back down the hall, skidding at the door to his father's room. It was slightly ajar. Ichigo pushed it open and jumped in, panic swallowing him. The bed was empty.

Ichigo ran back out to the hall and sprinted down the stairs.

"Dad?!"

There was no answer. He quickly made his way to the kitchen. As he rounded the corner, he slammed into something soft and warm.

"Ichigo?"

He stepped back and was relieved to see his father looking back at him in confusion. But his relief soon turned to irritation.

"What the hell, goat face?! What are you doing down here in the middle of the night?!"

"I came to get water! I can still do that in _my _house, can't I?!"

"What's going on?" a new voice called from the bottom of the stairs.

The two men turned to see Karin and Yuzu looking at them in confusion. Isshin shrugged and shot a glare at his son.

"How should I know? Ask your delinquent brother."

Ichigo looked between his sisters and his father.

_I can't tell them about the photos. It would just worry them._

"I… I had a nightmare," Ichigo mumbled. A snicker released itself from Karin's mouth, making Ichigo glare at her. Next to her, Yuzu gave her brother a sympathetic look.

"What's wrong with you my son?! You're afraid of something like a nightmare?!" Isshin cried, lunging at Ichigo, who just planted a hand on his face and shoved him to the ground.

"Shut it, old man!"

"Well, now that we've established that Ichigo is a chicken, I'm going back to bed," Karin drawled, turning and heading back up the stairs. "Come on, Yuzu."

Yuzu cast one last sympathetic glance at Ichigo before turning around and walking up the stairs after her sister. Ichigo sighed and rubbed his face as his father stood back up.

"I guess I'll go back to bed too," Ichigo sighed, knowing that he would not be able to sleep anymore tonight.

"Wait, Ichigo."

He turned towards his father, whose expression had turned serious.

"It wasn't a nightmare, was it?"

Ichigo froze. It wasn't often his dad was serious, so it was almost surprising that he could be so intuitive when it came to the way Ichigo was acting. When Ichigo remained silent, his father continued.

"I won't ask what's going on, but I expect you to tell me if you are in trouble."

Ichigo nodded, his mouth dry. His father nodded back, but then the silly grin came back to his face.

"Now get back to bed! You're disturbing my beauty sleep!"

Isshin walked past him as he headed for the stairs, but as he reached them, Ichigo called out.

"Hey dad?"

"What is it?" Isshin asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Watch over Karin and Yuzu. Don't let them out of your sight."

Isshin gazed at his son, who was not looking at him, but instead gazing out of the window. He nodded slightly.

"Of course I will. That's the job of a father." With that, he turned and walked up the stairs.

* * *

**Chapter Six: Breaking Point**

* * *

Byakuya looked down at his phone as it began to ring and was surprised to see the number on the screen.

_Kurosaki?_

He picked the phone up and answered, unsure of what to expect from the orange haired nuisance.

"Yes?"

"_Byakuya?" _Ichigo's voice broke through from the other line.

Byakuya narrowed his eyes slightly at the lack of respect this kid showed.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, I would ask that you not address me in such a manner," he replied curtly.

"_Uh, sure. Whatever. I have something I need to talk to you about."_

Byakuya pinched the bridge of his nose. This kid honestly infuriated him.

"And what might that be?"

"_I… received a call…" _Ichigo replied, his voice hesitant.

"And this has what to do with me?"

"_The voice on the other end was similar to Rukia's."_

Byakuya sat in silence as that fact sunk in. Could it have been…

"When and where did you receive this call?"

"_A few days ago in town."_

"And you did not find it necessary to inform me of this until this moment?" Byakuya asked coldly. He should have been alerted of this long ago.

"_Well, there's something else. Someone broke into my house last night and left an envelope full of pictures of my family. On one of them, Rukia was crossed out and they put something about how they had taken one down, and that they would keep going until I break."_

Byakuya contemplated this for a second. While he had no connection to this boy, his sister had been friends with him, and he doubted she would forgive him if she was still alive and he did nothing to help.

"Shall I send someone to protect you and your family?"

"_No, no. Thank you, but I just wanted you to know. I'm not sure what's going on, but it involves both of us, so it's only a matter of time before they come after you. I just wanted you to be aware."_

Byakuya suppressed the small amount of surprise that sprung up in him. This kid was thinking of others, not himself. It seemed that he might have misjudged him slightly.

"I appreciate the warning, but my security is more than adequate."

"_Yeah… I guess it would be. These people seemed to be good at getting in and out undetected. So be-"_

The line went silent. Byakuya looked at his phone, but it said he was still connected.

"Hello?"

There was no reply.

"It is amazing what technology can do, is it not?" a feminine voice called from the doorway. Byakuya looked up at the petite figure that walked towards him, the barrel of a pistol trained on his chest. His normally steely eyes widened in shock as he saw who it was.

"Y-you…"

"The great Kuchiki Byakuya stuttering. That is something I never thought I would see." She stopped on the other side of his desk, still holding the gun pointed towards his torso. He continued to stare in disbelief.

"You… should be dead."

"Ahh, I should be? But I am here before you now. I see no proof that I am dead."

Byakuya could not reply. His usually stoic features were gone, replaced by shock and disbelief. It was as if someone had shattered the hard shell that covered him to reveal a soft interior.

"But enough of this talk, I thinks it's time o say goodbye, Kuchiki Byakuya." She squeezed the trigger slowly, enjoying the long wait.

"It really was nice to see you again."

With that, she pulled the trigger.

* * *

**AN: Cliff hanger! Sorry about that, but I couldn't resist. So what did you guys think? Who do you think is the woman that shot Byakuya? Let me know in a review or just let me know what you think of the story so far. And helpful advise or suggestions are welcome!**


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